Forever Yours
by Fyre Dancer
Summary: Higurashi Tenshi is new at the ninja academy and isn't sure how she'll fit in with the other students, but then she meets some new friends and afterward nothing is ever the same. IrukaXOC, Set some time before the beginning of the manga. Sorry if some of the better-known characters are a bit OOC, let me know who/how and I'll fix this. Also, I suck at summaries. R&R's appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

~~Tenshi's POV~~

"Mom, can I go now?" Tenshi asked nervously, "I don't want to be late."

"Yes, I suppose," her mother replied, "Have you got everything? Be sure and be careful."

"Mom, I'll be fine," Tenshi replied, "Now, can I go? I really _don't_ want to be late..."

"Alright, alright, you can go," her mother said finally.

"Thanks Mom, see you later," Tenshi shouted, already on her way out the door for fear her mother would find something else to worry about. She practically skipped all the way to the academy. It was her first day, and she was excited even though her mother was worried. _Besides, Mom would've made me wear shoes,_ she thought, making a face, _I hate shoes!_ One thing she immediately discovered upon entering the beginning room was that she was the only girl there with fox-fire red hair. Another was that she could expect trouble from almost all of the girls except for Kurenai because the boys found her to be something of a novelty. Tenshi didn't see Kurenai either, so she grabbed a seat in a very back corner of the room and relaxed. The good thing about all of this was that she didn't have to go out of her way to find someone to talk to, they would come to her. Just then two boys, one with a messy head of white hair and the other with dark hair pulled back into a high ponytail, came back to where she was sitting and introduced themselves  
"Hi, my name is Taisuke Mizuki," the one with the white hair said with a grin.

"And my name is Umino Iruka," the other one added with a cute, and somewhat shy, grin of his own.

"Hi guys," she smiled back, "I'm Higurashi Tenshi."

"I thought you looked a lot like Reizo," Mizuki said.

"I should," Tenshi giggled, "He's my twin."

"That's cool," Iruka said.

Mizuki pointed at Iruka and grinned, "He likes you Tenshi."

"What?! Uh-uh!" Iruka yelped, though his cheeks turned slightly pink and he looked everywhere but to Tenshi.

"That was kinda mean," Tenshi said.

"It was the truth though," Mizuki said, still grinning.

"That's ok, he likes you too," Iruka grinned.

"I do not!" Mizuki squeaked, but he turned pink too.

"He got you back Mizuki," Tenshi giggled, "Ok, so who wants the empty spot?"

"Me!" they both said, then glared at each other.

"You two are funny," she laughed, "How about I just move and one of you can have the corner?"

"Alright!" Mizuki crowed, "I get the corner!" Just then their sensei came in so they were obliged to abandon their chattering and moving around. _This is...interesting,_ Tenshi thought, _They both seem to think they like me, and yet..._ She rolled her eyes to see first Mizuki and then Iruka. Mizuki smirked when he noticed, while Iruka looked first slightly surprised, then a little embarrassed, and dropped his gaze. _Shy..?_ Tenshi wondered, _Oh well, he's the cute one anyway. Least he doesn't smirk at me every time I half ways look at him..._ She smiled, _I might actually like Iruka eventually..._ Tenshi smiled softly to herself and dedicated her full attention to Ebisu-sensei until they got a break. "Hey Tenshi, what are you doing later?" Mizuki wanted to know.

"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it Mizuki," she said, then turned to Iruka, "What about you?"

"Well I donno," Iruka said, "Probably go home, but I'm free if you wanna go do something."

"We might," Tenshi smiled, "Stuff is usually more fun with more people anyway."

"I'll try and come hang out with you guys after we're done," Iruka grinned.  
_Might? Sheesh, who am I kidding, I do like this guy,_ Tenshi thought, _Mizuki won't like that though..._ "Um guys, I think it's time to go back in," Mizuki said.

"Aw, yeah, you're right," Tenshi said, "I guess we'll have to decide what to do later."  
"Yeah," Iruka said, and they headed back in to class.

~~Iruka's POV~~

As the three of them took their seats Iruka was trying very hard, and not really succeeding, to keep from staring at Tenshi, and he was pretty sure that Mizuki was doing the same thing. If Tenshi noticed though, she was ignoring them, and Mizuki looked to be getting frustrated. "Uh, I think he wants you to look at him," Iruka said quietly.

"He smirks too much," she whispered back, then she made a face, "He looks like my dad when he does that. I don't like people who smirk like that..."

"Oh, uh... I'm sorry Tenshi-san," he said softly, "I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry about it," she said, then she turned and smiled at him, "You didn't know. Besides, all the other girls like the Uchihas because they smirk all the time. I think I'll skip hangin' with Mizuki today to prove my point."

"What are you going to do?" Iruka asked, starting to get slightly nervous, "Please don't say you're going to go home!"

"Oh I donno," she said, "It'll still be too early to go home."

"I...I'll think of something," he finally said, trying not to sound too nervous. She nodded and smiled at him, and his stomach did a happy little flip before she turned her attention back to Ebisu-sensei's lesson. "Yay, we're free!" Mizuki shouted, then he groaned, "Aw man, I forgot to take out the trash. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" He ran off and left Iruka and Tenshi standing on the street together, with Iruka feeling decidedly nervous. "Wow. That was easy. So, now what do we do?" Tenshi asked.

"You could come to my house and play if you want," he said with a smile, hoping he didn't sound as awkward as he felt.

"Ok," she smiled, then she asked nervously, "Will your parents mind?"

"Nope," he grinned, for once not feeling nervous himself, "They won't mind a bit. I think you'll like them."

"Alright," she smiled, and she followed him.

"Hey Mom, I'm home," Iruka called cheerfully as he and Tenshi walked in the door.

"Hey, come on in the kitchen, I have a surprise for you," came his mother's cheerful voice, then with what Iruka knew was a grin she said, "Hurry up you two, before they get cold."

"How did she know I was here?" Tenshi asked, looking nervous and slightly confused.

"You'll know when you see her," Iruka said, then he smiled, "Don't worry, we aren't gonna be in any trouble."

"Ok, if you say so," Tenshi said, not sounding at all sure of that.

"I know so," he said, "Come on."

"Your house is too big," she muttered.

Iruka laughed, "You'll get used to it." And then they were in the kitchen. "Aw, isn't she just adorable," his mother said when she saw Tenshi, and Tenshi tried to hide behind Iruka.

"Go on, she doesn't bite," Iruka teased gently, _Wow, what happened to her? She was fine at school..._

"Mom, this is my friend Tenshi," he said, "Tenshi this is my mom."

"Hi," Tenshi said, smiling shyly.

"Hi Tenshi-chan," his mother smiled, "Alright you two, I may be a kunoichi, but I can still cook! Up you get."

"So what happened to Mizuki today?" his mother asked when they were settled.

"He forgot to take out the trash so he had to go home," Iruka said, reaching for another cookie after handing the first one to Tenshi.

"Ah, well chores are important," his mother said.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said, though he personally felt that chores were a complete waste of time.

"Hey Ame-chan, I'm home."

"Yay! Dad's home," Iruka said, then in answer to the confused expression on Tenshi's face, "He's been gone for almost a week." Tenshi still looked confused, but she nodded and kept quiet. "Yup, I'm home," he laughed.

"We're in the kitchen Kibou-kun," Iruka's mother called happily.

"I thought I smelled cookies," his father said as he walked into the kitchen, "How've you been Ame?

"I've been pretty good," she smiled as he kissed her cheek, "How about you?"

"Can't complain," he laughed, then he turned to Iruka, "Hey kiddo, how was the first day at the academy?"

"It was great Dad," Iruka grinned, "Dad this is my friend Tenshi."

"Hello," Tenshi said with her shy smile.

"Hey Tenshi-chan," Iruka's dad grinned, "Was today your first day too?"

"Yeah," Tenshi smiled.

"That's great, so is that where you met this guy?" his dad asked, putting a hand on top of Iruka's head and fluffing up his bangs.

"Aw c'mon Dad," Iruka said, making a face. Tenshi giggled and nodded. Iruka was glad that she seemed to have gotten over most of her nervousness around his parents because they seemed to like her almost as much as he did. "Well, you're welcome to stay and have dinner with us if you like Tenshi-chan," his dad smiled.

"Thanks, but I can't," Tenshi replied, "My mom and dad wanted me home for dinner tonight."

"Alright Tenshi-chan," Iruka said, "Want me to walk with you?"

She was quiet for a minute, then she smiled, "Thanks Iruka-san, I'd like that."

"I'll be right back," he called.

"Alright," his mother called, "Have fun!"

"So what do you think Tenshi-chan?" he asked with a smile as they walked out the door.

"They're nice," Tenshi smiled, "I like them."

"See, I told ya you would," he grinned, then he looked at Tenshi, "What's wrong Tenshi?"

"I'm ok, just thinkin'," she replied with a smile, "I'm ok, nothing's wrong with me."

"Good, because if there was, I'd be sad," he said with a smile as he gave her a hug, and he blushed slightly as she hugged him back.

Alright, ending it here because I have no better place to stop it. This story wasn't originally written in chapter form, so it's really hard to fit it into chapters now. Also, R&R is definitely appreciated, I'd like to know how I'm doing. Later y'all ^^


	2. Chapter 2

"Well we're here," Tenshi said when they got to her house.

"Alright, see ya tomorrow Tenshi-chan," he said with his cute little grin as he gave her another hug.

"Bye Iruka-san, see you tomorrow," she smiled. He smiled happily and waved, then he ran off.

"Tenshi is that you?" her mother called as she walked in the door.

"Yeah Mom, it's me," Tenshi called back.

"Ok good, Reizo was looking for you, I think he's upstairs," her mother informed her.

"Alright, thanks Mom," Tenshi said as she trotted up the stairs to the room she and her twin shared. Reizo was sitting on his bed concentrating very hard on a scroll as Tenshi walked in. "Hey Reizo-kun, how's it going?" she smiled.

"What..? Oh hey Tenshi-chan," he smiled back, "It's going alright, how was your day?"

"It was good," she replied, then she grinned, "At least everybody doesn't totally hate me."

"Who'd you find and drive out of their minds?" Reizo teased.

"I didn't find them, they found me," she giggled, "Two guys, one is your smirky little friend Mizuki, and the other one is Umino Iruka."

"I know Iruka too. Wow, Mizuki finally got his wish," Reizo laughed.

"Wha..?" Tenshi asked, "I am confused."

"Mizuki's wanted to meet my sister ever since I first met him," Reizo grinned, "So what do you think of him?" Tenshi stuck out her tongue. "Ick! As I said, he smirks too much," she said, "I think I'll get me a puppy." Reizo burst out laughing. "Hey everybody, I'm home," their father called as he walked in the door.

"Oh joy, Dad's home," Tenshi said sarcastically, "Bet none of us get any sleep tonight."

"No kidding," Reizo sighed, then he grinned teasingly, "So you don't like Mizuki, huh?"

"I thought it was obvious," Tenshi snorted.

"Don't worry," Reizo laughed, "Just because I think it's funny doesn't mean I think you should go out with him if you don't want to."

"Oh is that what he thinks he wants?!" Tenshi yelped, "No way!" This elicited another burst of laughter from her brother, and it took him a while to be able to ask his next question. "So is there somebody you do like?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, but it probably won't happen anytime soon," Tenshi snickered.

"Uchiha?" Reizo guessed with a teasing grin.

"You fail Reizo," Tenshi said flatly. He laughed again. "At least you're not like the other girls," he smirked, "They all would die to have an Uchiha so much as glance their direction!"

"Mindless little bimboes," Tenshi giggled, "Hey, if I get my wish, the only person I'll have to explain myself to is Mizuki."

"Cute, so who is it?" Reizo asked with his teasing grin.

"You'll find out," Tenshi said, smiling mysteriously, "Just not yet." Their conversation was interrupted with their mother calling them for dinner. Tenshi looked at their father to judge his mood when she and Reizo got to the kitchen. He didn't seem any grumpier than usual, so she figured that she was safe enough for the time being, and she turned her attention to the puzzling question that had been in her mind ever since she'd been to Iruka's that day. _So what is the difference?_ she wondered, _He was really excited to see his dad, and even happy to see his mom, and I have to be afraid of mine. My dad will beat me up for random crap, and about half the time it's 'cause my mom told him what I did..._ Needless to say, this subject got her full attention, something that was usually very hard to do. It didn't take Tenshi long to start to change, towards her family in general and her father in particular. The only one she didn't start being difficult with was Reizo, and that was because he was her favorite brother and her twin. Her parents blamed her going to the academy, while her siblings blamed her friends. Blaming her friends was a bit more accurate, but her parents didn't need to know that. It was bad enough that her siblings did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, new chapter and stuff, this one I'm not particularly happy with, but whatever I suppose, if you all like it I'm fine with that. I just feel like the plot gets a little shaky/unstable in places here, but I can't seem to fix it no matter what I do, so any ideas on that would be really appreciated.**

Tenshi's POV

With her always being at her friends' houses or they at hers, it was a good thing her father had decided to quit beating her. Even Kurenai, who spent most of her time with Reizo, would have known something was wrong if Tenshi had started turning up with unexplained bruises every other week. She was thinking about this one day and her friends had a very hard time getting her attention. "Hello, Tenshi-chan, are you alright?" Iruka asked, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Wha..? Oh, yeah I'm fine, I was just thinkin'," she smiled.

"Oh. Was it something good?" he asked with his cute little grin.

"Well now it is," she giggled. That grin of his could always make her feel better and smile, no matter how bad his timing was. "You mean it wasn't before?" he teased.

She laughed, "No, it was, it's just better now."

"Ok," he smiled, "By the way you're up."

"Oops, I forgot today is a test day," she laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"It's ok Tenshi-chan, it's just over bunshin and henge no jutsu," Mizuki said, "You're good at both."

"Ok, I don't have to worry," Tenshi said. Tenshi was the last one to test that day though, because all hell broke loose almost as soon as she headed back to her seat. The only one of her friends she managed to catch before things got too insane was Kurenai. "Tenshi-chan!" Kurenai panted, "Hey, where'd your guys go?"

"I don't know where they went, but pretty much everyone's disappeared by now," Tenshi replied, "What about Reizo?"

"Went poof like everybody else I guess," Kurenai answered.

"That's not a comforting thought," Tenshi muttered.

"No kidding," Kurenai agreed. They didn't have any luck with finding the boys, and somewhere along the line Tenshi got the bright idea of getting up on top of a building to watch what was going on, and for some reason Kurenai agreed to it. "So what do you think is happening Kurenai?" Tenshi asked while they were looking for a way up.

"I wouldn't know, but it must be important to get everybody running off to who knows where," Kurenai said, then when she finally got up she said, "Ok I take that back, it's not just important, it's a matter of life and death."

"Ok, no need to be dramatic about it," Tenshi giggled, grabbing onto the roof and swinging herself up. Then she looked. "Ok never mind. Whoa…it's got nine tails," Tenshi said in amazement

"And you can count that with those tails going every which way?" Kurenai asked.

"Yeah I can, I'm usually really good at catching things like that," Tenshi said, "I hope the guys didn't decide to try to help…"

"Don't, that would be just like Reizo too," Kurenai squeaked, "I'm done, if something happens to your brother I don't want to know."

"Eh, if something happened to him I think I would want to know, but that's just me," Tenshi said thoughtfully, "How about coming home with me, at least then we won't be worrying about them by ourselves."

"Alright, I can do that," Kurenai said, "Your parents aren't likely to be out fighting that thing anyway."

"True that, my dad's no shinobi and my mom doesn't believe in fighting anymore," Tenshi sighed as they headed toward her house, then she changed the subject, "So, Kurenai, I know I don't usually care to talk about boys and all, but I have to ask, what made you decide you liked my brother?"

"Well, your brother is different, that's the best way I can think to describe him," Kurenai replied with a smile, "I liked his sense of humor, and I liked the fact that he would do just about anything for you. To be quite honest I was a little jealous until I found out that he was your brother and not your boyfriend."

"That makes sense," Tenshi giggled as they walked in the door, "Mom, are you there? I'm home!"

"Well that's good," her mother said, walking into the hallway, "Hello Kurenai-chan. Where is your brother Tenshi?"

"Honestly, I really have no idea," Tenshi replied.

"Alright, well you two can make yourselves at home until things settle down I suppose," Anzu said, "I'll call you when supper is ready."

"Alright Mom," Tenshi said, "Come on, I'll show you my room Kurenai." And they went bounding up the stairs.

"Wow, this is actually kinda cool," Kurenai said, then she raised an eyebrow, "Why are there two beds?"

"There's so many of us that I have to share with my brother," Tenshi said, "Lookie, I can see the mountain out the window."

"I see that. Aw, you two are cute," Kurenai giggled.

"Wha..? Oh that," Tenshi said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink, "I forgot about that one…"

"Aw, but it's cute," Kurenai said, "Are you guys…well, you know?"

"He hasn't asked…" Tenshi said quietly.

"Well then you should do it," Kurenai told her.

"But I want him to," Tenshi replied, "I'm not sure why, I just do…"

"Aw, well that's ok," Kurenai smiled, "I was kinda the same with Reizo."

"Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one," Tenshi laughed.

"No, you're not the only one," Kurenai grinned. Their conversation was interrupted when Tenshi's mother called them and told them it was time for dinner. Kurenai went home after that and Tenshi went back to her room and ended up going to sleep. Things never really got back to normal. When the academy started running again their sensei's right arm was in a sling. Tenshi immediately started looking for Iruka and Mizuki. "Hey, Tenshi-chan, over here!" Iruka called.

"Hey, how'd you sneak in here without me knowing?" Tenshi asked, then she stopped, "Iruka what happened to you?"

"What do you–? Oh, you mean the cut across my face? Yeah, I kinda did something stupid," he laughed, scratching the back of his head, "I'm alright though."

"Well, whatever it was, don't do it again, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if…" she trailed off, deciding not to say what she'd been going to.

"If it means that much to you Tenshi-chan, I won't," he said with a smile.

"Good," she said, then she hugged him and he hugged her back.

"Alright everybody, sit down and be quiet please," Ebisu-sensei called. Everyone did as they were told, and then their sensei began explaining what had happened. All the details weren't given, but Tenshi knew something was wrong when Iruka, who was sitting in the corner beside her, tensed up and didn't relax until Ebisu-sensei got off the subject and resumed the normal lessons. "So, since we didn't all test on test day, I wonder, do we just finish testing today after lunch?" Iruka asked.

"I donno, maybe," Tenshi replied, "Oh, that's right, you didn't test last time…"

"Nope, I didn't," he said, "But if we do finish testing I'll pass anyway."

"Well heck, I passed," Tenshi said, "I'm pretty sure you will."

"Who will what..?" Mizuki sighed as he plopped down in the seat beside Tenshi, "Iruka you're in my spot."

"Well you weren't here," Iruka said.

"Easy guys," Tenshi said, "I was just saying that Iruka would pass the test you two didn't get to take. Anyway, what took you so long to get here Mizuki?"

"Oh my mom and dad didn't want me to go anywhere," Mizuki said, "They finally decided to turn me loose, but I had to promise I'd come straight home after we were done."

"That's not exactly a bad thing Mizuki," Tenshi said, "That just means they care about you. I'm actually kinda surprised Iruka's parents didn't keep him home…"

"Well they didn't and he had you all to himself this morning," Mizuki growled, "Honestly, I wish they _had_ kept him home."

"What's the matter with you Mizuki?" Tenshi sighed in exasperation, "You're my _friend_, not my _boyfriend_." Mizuki didn't answer her, he just glared at Iruka and got up and stalked away. _What on earth was that about..?_ Tenshi wondered, _From the looks of it Iruka _would _have stayed home if he_ could _have…_ "Believe me Mizuki," Iruka muttered, "I wish they would've kept me home too…"

"What's wrong Iruka-san..?" Tenshi asked softly.

"I… It's nothing Tenshi-chan…" he said quietly, "It's just…"

"Tell me later," Tenshi told him gently when he trailed off, "it's your turn. I'll walk home with you or whatever and you can tell me then, ok?"

"Thanks Tenshi-chan," he said with a small smile.

"Aw, it's alright, you're my best friend," she grinned, "Go on, I know you can do this." He smiled, gave her a quick hug, and bounded up to the front of the room. "Hey Tenshi," came Kurenai's cheerful voice, "How's life? By the way, did you tell him yet?"

"No, I haven't told him yet," Tenshi replied, "Honestly, I really don't know how…"

"I can tell him for you," Kurenai grinned.

"Eep! Kurenai don't please!" Tenshi whined.

"Well he has to find out sometime, or he might decide you're not interested and find someone else," Kurenai said matter-of-factly, then she grinned, "Besides, you don't have to worry about him rejecting you right now because he's so obviously crazy about you."

"There's still Mizuki…" Tenshi muttered, "That would be like declaring war with him…"

"Well, would you rather have Iruka or Mizuki?" Kurenai asked, "Which one would you rather have around twenty-four/seven?"

"Iruka, but–"

"No buts," Kurenai cut her off, "You tell him, or I will." Tenshi sighed and nodded. She definitely _didn't_ want to have to see him with another girl. Just the thought of that made her heart hurt. She couldn't help but smile though when she looked up to see his usual cute grin and realized he'd passed. "That grin Tenshi, it's always for you," Kurenai smiled, and she left as Iruka headed back to his seat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Same as for last chappy, still a bit shaky but that could just be the author in me, neh? Anyway, enjoy ^^**

~~~Iruka's POV~~~

"I did it, I passed!" Iruka said excitedly as he plopped into the seat beside Tenshi.

"See, I told ya you would," she laughed happily.

"Alright, that's it for today, you're all dismissed," Ebisu-sensei said, and Iruka and Tenshi were the first ones out the door.

"Let's go to the training ground first Tenshi-chan," Iruka said quietly.

"Um ok… But I thought you wanted to go home," she replied, sounding slightly confused.

"I would if I had a reason to go there," he said, "But… when I said I wished they'd kept me home… I was just saying that… They…they'll never be able to keep me home for anything again…" She didn't respond right away, and Iruka was almost afraid he would have to make an attempt at explaining when he heard her gasp. "Iruka-kun I'm so sorry…" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"It's alright Tenshi-chan," he said sadly, "It's not your fault…"

"I'm still sorry… I'm going to miss them too…" she whispered, going to him and wrapping her arms around him, and he hugged her back.

"Thanks Tenshi-chan," he said softly, "I don't know what I'd do without you…"

"Likewise," she said with a small smile, "You wanna come home with me then?"

"Sure," he smiled back.

"Hey you two," Anzu said softly when they walked in the door, "Don't make too much noise Tenshi, your father is meditating."

"Oh gees…" Tenshi muttered, "I guess we're banished to the attic."

"Oh well, that's ok with me," Iruka said, "Your parents are weird."

"Thank you," Tenshi said, "I noticed that the day I met yours. By the way, you might want to keep my dad from knowing anything about this if at all possible."

"Why, what would he do?" Iruka asked.

"Let's just say that it probably wouldn't be pretty," Tenshi answered, "My dad's kinda bipolar, I never really know what he's gonna do…"

"That actually kinda sucks," Iruka said quietly.

"You're telling me… And I have to live with him too," Tenshi agreed, "Well now what? I suppose we could go train…"

"Tenshi! Come here, right now!" Tenshi's father yelled from somewhere downstairs.

"Damn it! Or not. Listen, don't let him know you're here, I'll be right back," she said, and she bounded out the door and down the stairs, "Yeah Dad, what do you want?" _If your dad is that crazy Tenshi-chan, please be careful_, Iruka thought as he shut the door behind her and went to inspecting the room. _Oh I remember that… Mom always thought Tenshi was so cute… But…when she wore that kimono, she wasn't just cute… She was beautiful…_ he thought, staring at the photo, then he smiled, _Of course…she's always beautiful… I wish I knew… what she thought of me…_ Just then Tenshi burst back into the room and slammed the door behind her. "Damn it, damn it, _damn it_!" she snarled at the floor, "I'll kill him, I swear I'm going to kill that man one day!" Then she looked up and sighed, "I'm sorry… Iruka-san… He…he just makes me so angry…"

"It's alright Tenshi-chan," he said quietly, going and giving her a hug, "So, what happened anyway? Hey, Tenshi-chan, are you alright?"

"Mph… I don't… I don't know… I suppose… I… I'd rather not talk about my dad right now," she sighed finally, "But you're not gonna get out of this house through the door…"

"He got mad huh?" Iruka asked.

"Oh yeah," Tenshi said, "We could go out the window though, that way he won't know you were here at all…"

"Alright, sounds good to me. You gonna be ok Tenshi-chan?" he asked.

"Yeah. Thanks Iruka-san," she smiled.

"No problem Tenshi," he grinned, "Come on, let's go before your dad decides to come up here." She nodded and pushed open the window, then she climbed out on the trim on the side of the house and flipped gracefully to the ground. Iruka followed her, but it was a little more difficult for him than it had been for Tenshi. He finally decided that it was because she refused to wear shoes of any kind. "Hey Tenshi-chan, are you going to get in trouble for this later?" he asked.

"No, and if I do my Dad'll only yell. That's all he ever does," she said. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe her, but he decided to let it go and let her tell him what was going on in her own way and in her own time… he just gave her a hug. "I'll walk home with you and then I've got to get back," she said quietly, "I don't want him to have any more reason to yell than he already does…"

"Alright," he said, then asked, "So why did he get mad, did we interrupt him or what?"

"No, apparently he knew about your parents and he gave me a lecture about the whole thing…" she said, "I almost wish we'd interrupted him instead."

"I'm really sorry Tenshi-chan," he said quietly, "Is there anything I can do?"

"No… The only thing you could do that would make him happier would be to never speak to me again," she said, then bowed her head, smiling sadly, "But I would never be happy… because… well… because I like you…" Iruka was dumbfounded for a few seconds. He hadn't really expected to hear that anytime soon, especially with everything that had happened lately, but here Tenshi was, saying the one thing he'd been wishing she would say from the moment he'd set eyes on her. "You can do what you want though…" she said when he didn't answer, "I just wanted you to know that…" She started to walk away, but he caught her hand to stop her. "Wait, Tenshi-chan…" he said softly around his excitement, "Do… do you really mean..?" She turned around and seemed amazed to see the grin that had worked its way onto his face. "Tenshi-chan, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, still holding her hand. Slowly she grinned back and nodded. "Yes!" he shouted, and he picked her up and spun her around.

"So, are you happy now?" she giggled softly.

"Of course," he grinned back, and he hugged her again.

"Me too," she whispered with a smile, "me too…" Iruka wasn't quite sure what to do with his time when they finally split up and Tenshi went home, but he made the best of it; he was still practically crazy with happiness over her having actually said yes. She could never fully take his parents' place, but she was all he ever wanted in a girl and he was glad she was giving him a chance.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am so sorry it's been so long since I've updated this and I've made anyone reading this wait so long. Anyway, here's a nice long chapter for you. Enjoy ^^**

~~~Iruka's POV~~~

When he got to the academy the next morning Tenshi was standing there talking to Mizuki, who looked a little confused. Tenshi didn't look to be in the best of moods, and so he decided to try and make her happy. "Tenshi-chan!" Iruka shouted happily.

"Hey Iruka-kun," Tenshi smiled.

"Sorry guys, I'm going to borrow Tenshi for a minute," Kurenai said, taking Tenshi by the hand and pulling her away from the boys.

"I guess I'll catch you two later," Tenshi said, waving to them, "What's this about Kurenai-chan?"

"Did you tell him yet or do I have to do it for you Tenshi-chan?" Kurenai asked playfully." _Tell who what?_ Iruka wondered, having heard what Kurenai had said in spite of her precautions. He also heard Tenshi's response. Of course, she hadn't been exactly quiet about it. "Gah! Fine, tell him if you're so anxious!"Tenshi laughed.

"Yay!" Kurenai laughed, and she promptly shouted, "Iruka come here, I need to tell you something!"

"What do you need to tell me?" he asked with a grin, then practically glomped Tenshi, "Tenshi-chan!"

"Um, why do I get the feeling I missed something really important?" Kurenai asked.

"I don't know, why do you?" Tenshi asked with a giggle, "Hey Iruka-kun."

"Hey, no fair Tenshi!" Kurenai squealed, "You ruined my fun!"

"Honestly I didn't mean to," Tenshi giggled, "But did you really think I'd let you do my job?"

"I hate when you do that," Kurenai laughed.

"Doesn't sound like it," Tenshi teased.

"I give up," Kurenai said still laughing, and she walked away from them and back to her seat.

"Tenshi-chan is barefoot and in her pajamas still," Iruka whispered teasingly in her ear.

"Aw, but you love me anyway, right?" she asked, laughing.

"Of course," he laughed, "Let's go sit, I think we're starting."

"Yeah, I think so," she agreed, and they went back to their seats. It wasn't until about halfway through the first set of lessons that morning that Iruka noticed something was wrong with Tenshi. She wasn't paying as much attention to Ebisu-sensei as she usually did, and she seemed to be doing her best to hide her face. Iruka had a feeling that whatever the reason for this was, it was also the same reason she was still in her pajamas.

~~~Tenshi's POV~~~

Tenshi could tell that Iruka was curious, but she couldn't risk him finding out that her father had started beating her again, or ever had in the past either. Tenshi didn't want to think about what that might do to Iruka. Her friend, the guy she loved, had lost his parents; she couldn't tell him what was happening to her… The next day she started using make-up to hide the bruises that insisted on appearing on her face and neck. That day too, she found something to do that gave her a reason to stay out of her house longer. School was out for the day, and Iruka and Tenshi were walking down the street when they met the Hokage heading in the opposite direction, probably towards his office, and Tenshi felt herself irresistibly drawn to the tiny bundle cradled in his arms. It took her a minute to decide she wanted a look, but… "Hokage-sama!" she shouted, turning around and racing after him. Of course, Iruka followed. "Ca… can I… can I see what you're… what you're holding?" she panted.

"Yes, you may," he said with a kind smile, "Who might you be?"

"I'm Higurashi Tenshi," she smiled as the Hokage lowered the small bundle for her to see, "Ooh, baby!" The tiny blond haired boy looked at her, grinned, and grabbed her bangs, making her laugh. She turned to get Iruka's attention, but he'd disappeared. "Um w-will you excuse me Hokage-sama?" she asked softly.

"Of course," he smiled.

"And, can I see him again sometimes?" she asked, disentangling her hair from the baby's grasp.

"Better yet, come by the office after school when you can and you can take him for the afternoon," he replied with a smile.

"Alright! Thank you Hokage-sama!" she called happily and she ran off to find Iruka. "You left me," she teased when she finally found him, then stopped; "Iruka-kun what's wrong? What… happened..?"

"It…it's nothing," he said quietly without turning around to look at her.

"It has to be something, because you're upset," she said softly, going and hugging him from behind, "I can always tell when you're upset…"

"Tenshi… You…you know how Sensei told us that the fourth Hokage and some others died when they sealed the nine tails?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she answered quietly.

"They sealed it in a baby… his baby…Uzumaki Naruto…" he told her softly.

"He's still a baby," she said, a little flatly, _He won't have a family either…_

"Alright…" Iruka sighed, nodding.

"Hey, it's alright," she whispered, petting his hair.

"Thanks Tenshi-chan," he whispered, and he turned around and hugged her back.

"That's what I'm here for Iruka-kun," she teased laughing, "Well, now what do we do?"

"Well, I suppose we could go train if you don't mind," he said with a smile, "I really don't have anything else I need to do."

"Sounds good to me, I could use a little practice," she smiled, "Should we go get Mizuki and make him come practice too?"

"If you don't mind, then yes we should," Iruka grinned.

"Well then let's drag him along," she giggled, "I don't know where he lives though…"

"That's not a problem, I do," he said, "Come on."

"So if you don't mind me asking, why katanas all of a sudden?" Iruka asked.

"I finally talked my mom into sharing some of the jutsus and sword techniques she used when she was a kunoichi," Tenshi smiled.

"Iruka! Tenshi-chan! Wait up, where are you guys going?!" Mizuki shouted, racing down the street after them.

"We were going to ask you if you wanted to go train with us," Iruka replied.

"So do you?" Tenshi asked with a grin.

"Sure, I don't have anything else to do," Mizuki said, "Regular training grounds I assume..?"

"Yup," Iruka answered.

"Alright, I can do that," Mizuki grinned, "So how's Tenshi-chan today?"

"Tenshi is good," Tenshi laughed, "How about Mizuki-san?"

"I'm good," Mizuki laughed, "What's up Iruka?"

"Nothin' much, mostly just the usual," Iruka answered with a slight smile.

"That's cool," Mizuki started, then finished with, "Oh crap, look who's here."

"Oh you mean Kakashi and them?" Iruka asked.

"No, I mean Gai and his team," Mizuki said.

"Oh," Iruka said.

"I'm confused, who's who now?" Tenshi asked.

"Ok, the one with the silver hair and the mask is Hatake Kakashi, the one in green is Maito Gai, the guy sitting there looking annoyed is Uchiha Obito, and the girl talking to him is Rin," Iruka explained, "I keep forgetting the girl, but the other guy on Gai's team is Sarutobi Asuma."

"Oh well, that's ok," Tenshi said, "I take it you've known them a while..?"

"If you can ever really get to know Gai," Mizuki snorted. About the same time Gai and Kakashi noticed them. "I don't think you really can," Iruka said, "Hey Kakashi how goes it?"

"Hey Iruka, it goes alright," Kakashi said, then he grinned, "Do you think we should have warned your friend about Gai?"

"We probably should have, but you have to admit, it is kinda funny," Iruka said with a grin.

"What the hell Gai?!" Mizuki shouted, and Gai's face turned red when he realized that he had Mizuki's hand instead of Tenshi's.

"See what I mean?" Iruka asked, trying not to laugh, "Hey Tenshi-chan."

"Hey Iruka-kun," Tenshi giggled.

"Wait, wha..? When did you have time to do that?" Kakashi asked, looking confused.

"When he closed his eyes," she laughed, "Kawarimi no jutsu is so much fun sometimes." Iruka started to laugh. "I hate you guys sometimes," Mizuki sighed.

"Don't feel bad Mizuki, I think it could just as easily have been me or Obito," Kakashi said, barely managing not to laugh again, "I don't think Iruka would have been safe if he'd been the one standing there either."

"I doubt it," Iruka laughed.

"Thanks guys, that makes me feel so much better," Mizuki smirked sarcastically, then he grinned, "Hey Obito."

"Hey Mizuki," Obito said, "What goes on?"

"Gai will challenge Kakashi to one of their duels in about five seconds," Mizuki said with a smirk.

"Uh-huh. Why do I get the impression that it's the red-head Gai's going to challenge him for?" Obito asked.

"Because it's pretty much true," Iruka said.

"Oh yeah," Kakashi laughed, then he looked at Tenshi, "You should watch Tenshi-chan."

"Um, ok," she said, feeling slightly confused.

"They do this all the time," Iruka explained.

"Oh," Tenshi laughed, "Yeah, I guess I'll watch your duel."

"Ok!" Gai practically shouted, "Rock/paper/scissors, best two out of three!" _They're both brain-dead,_ Tenshi decided, _Gai for suggesting it and Kakashi for agreeing to it!_ Tenshi lost interest about the time they tied a couple of times, and she decided to go talk to Iruka. "Hey Iruka," she said, walking over to him.

"Hey Tenshi," he smiled, "What's up?"

"Nothing much… Just thinkin'," Tenshi replied with a smile.

"You do that a lot lately," Iruka teased gently.

"I know," Tenshi giggled, "Next time we do this we should leave if Kakashi and Gai are both here."

"They definitely take some getting used to," Iruka laughed.

"Hey, no fair!" Kakashi yelped.

"What did I do?" Tenshi asked laughing a little.

"You left," Gai piped up.

"And that's important because..?" Tenshi asked, now slightly confused.

"Kakashi was hoping you'd give him a kiss because he won," Gai said, looking frustrated.

"Uh-uh," Tenshi said, "Not gonna happen."

"A date then?" Kakashi asked, looking hopeful.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Kakashi, but no," Tenshi said.

"Aw, you're no fun," Kakashi said, "Ok, so pick one, me or Gai?"

"Not going there," Tenshi said with a slightly amused grin.

"Oh come on, just pick one of us," Kakashi said.

"If I said Kakashi, Gai would be upset, and if I said Gai, Kakashi would not be happy," Tenshi smirked at him, "So clearly we are at an impasse. Besides, I have someone and I'm happy with him."

"Well I suppose it's good that you're happy with him, but I honestly wish it was me," Kakashi laughed quietly.

"Sorry Kakashi," Tenshi said, and realizing that the conversation could get quite awkward and uncomfortable, she changed the subject and asked, "So who wants to spar me?"

"I will I suppose," Iruka said, "What do you want me to do?"

"Throw something," Tenshi replied.

"What kind of something?" Iruka asked.

"Anything, I don't care what, just something," Tenshi said, "Preferably in this direction."

"Ok, kunai work for you?" Iruka asked.

"Yup, perfect," Tenshi smiled. So for the rest of the afternoon Tenshi and Iruka trained while their friends did whatever. Then finally everyone else had gone, and Tenshi and Iruka headed home. "So did you have fun Tenshi-chan?" Iruka asked with a smile as he and Tenshi walked toward her house.

"Yeah I did," she smiled back, then she laughed, "So Kakashi and Gai are always crazy like that huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Iruka smiled, then he hugged her, "Are you alright Tenshi-chan?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Iruka-kun," she smiled, and she hugged him back.

"Ok, so long as you're alright Tenshi-chan," he said, "Well, here's your house, so I suppose I should go so you won't get yelled at."

"Yeah… I suppose so," she said quietly, "I'll see you tomorrow Iruka-kun."

"Alright, see you tomorrow Tenshi-chan," he replied, giving her a hug. She hugged him back and then he left while she went inside. "Hey Tenshi-chan," Reizo called, "How was your day?"

"It was good. How was yours?" Tenshi responded.

"It was good. Oh, Ryuu is moving out," Reizo said.

"So that means..?" she asked.

"That means that I'm being moved into his room," Reizo answered.

"Oh fun," she said sarcastically, "I'm going to get bored now…"

"Well hopefully that's all you get," Reizo said.

"Yeah…" she said, "Oh well, I'm happy."

"Iruka have anything to do with this?" her brother asked with a teasing smirk.

"How did you know?" Tenshi asked in mock surprise, then she laughed, "Just don't tell anyone else about this."

"Don't worry, I won't," Reizo grinned. They had supper, trained for a couple of hours, and then went to bed. The next day after school Tenshi went straight to the Hokage's office to get Naruto, and then she took him to the park. "There you are Tenshi, I've been lookin' all over for you," Iruka grinned, "How goes it?"

"Good," Tenshi replied with a smile, "How are you?"

"I'm good," Iruka smiled, "I see you've got Naruto today."

"Yeah, I have Naruto," she replied with a smile of her own.

"Whatcha drawin'?" he asked.

"Bugs!" she giggled, "Just kidding, it's a dolphin."

"Can I look?" he asked.

"Sure," she smiled, then handing Iruka the sketchbook she went and picked up Naruto. He and a little pink-haired girl had been playing together but now she was reaching for his hair. Tenshi didn't need some over-protective parent yelling at her. She'd already found out the hard way today that most people didn't think much of Naruto, and they didn't need any extra encouragement other than what they had already. "Hey Iruka, we should go somewhere else," Tenshi sighed, "I don't much feel like being yelled at right now…"

"Did your dad yell at you again this morning?" Iruka asked, giving her a hug.

"You…could say that…" Tenshi said thoughtfully.

"He really needs to stop that…" Iruka said quietly.

"Yeah… But that's not likely to happen…" Tenshi sighed, but then she smiled, "Alright, this is good, and besides this guy's getting heavy."


	6. Chapter 6

**Finally had time for another chapter. Let me know what y'all think ^^**

~Iruka's POV~

"Well next time I'll carry him for a little bit," Iruka smiled, "Hey, can I look at your sketchbook again?"

"Sure," Tenshi smiled, handing him the book. Iruka sat there looking through Tenshi's drawings and sketches, occasionally looking up to watch Tenshi. At one point he looked up from one of her more morbid creations to see her holding a pair of rocks up in front of Naruto's face. At first Naruto looked like he might decide to cry, but Tenshi simply got his attention and began clicking the rocks together to make him laugh. Iruka looked thoughtfully at Tenshi's drawing, then back to her. She looked back at him and smiled. He couldn't figure it out, because Tenshi always seemed so happy, and yet she drew pain and suffering more than anything else. Iruka closed the book then and sat there watching Tenshi play with Naruto. After a while Tenshi picked Naruto up again and brought him back to where Iruka was sitting. "Hey Tenshi-chan," Iruka smiled, "How we doin'?"

"Good," Tenshi replied, "Naruto's getting sleepy though. I think it's time to take him back."

"Alright, you want me to go with you?" Iruka asked.

"Thanks, that would be nice," Tenshi replied with a smile. They took Naruto back to the Hokage's office, and then Iruka walked Tenshi home, knowing that the earlier she was home, the less likely she was to be yelled at. He still didn't have anything to do and being in an empty house drove him completely crazy, but there was the fact that it could definitely have been worse. The next week their lessons were reviews on chakra control, and for this they did their training and testing outside.

~Ebisu-sensei's POV~

Tenshi had always been good at chakra control, and as a result she got very bored with it very quickly, and this fact didn't make Ebisu-sensei feel very safe either. He knew what kind of things happened when she got too bored. So he gave her something to do, i.e. helping the others who had a hard time sticking to things. Eventually he had to send Mizuki and Tenshi to go work on the trick of walking on water because he got tired of them doing stupid things to make their classmates laugh. Even then he didn't completely get rid of the problem because Iruka seemed to have decided to take over for them.

~Tenshi's POV~

"You guys know we're testing tomorrow right?" Mizuki asked after they were dismissed one afternoon.

"Yeah, I know," Tenshi said, grinning mischievously, "Oh well, I'm not worried about it."

"I wish I could say that," Mizuki said, "But I'm not the genius at chakra control either."

"Well, I think I can pass, but I'm kinda nervous just the same…" Iruka said quietly.

"Oh, I think you'll be fine," Tenshi smiled, "Hey Mizuki-san, where're ya goin'?"

"Home, my mom wanted me to help her with somethin'," Mizuki replied, "I'll see you all tomorrow!"

"Alright, later Mizuki," Iruka said.

"Bye," Tenshi called. Mizuki waved to them and left. "So now what?" Iruka asked her.

"I donno," Tenshi answered, "Got anything in mind?"

"Not really," he said, "I don't wanna go home yet though…"

"I know…" she said quietly, "Well, let's go swimming, it's too warm for anything else."

"Alright, I'll meet you there then," he smiled.

"Ok," she grinned, "See you in a bit."

"Later Tenshi," he said, and gave her a hug and left. Tenshi almost walked in the door when she got home, but thought better of that when she heard her mother and father fighting. She still had a few bad bruises left over from the last time, which brought to mind another problem as she wriggled through her bedroom window. Oh well, it was too late to think about that now. At least her face and neck weren't still bruised up… She sighed, grabbed her bathing suit and a towel, and slipped back out the window again. "Hey Tenshi-chan, what's wrong?" Iruka asked gently when she showed up looking upset.

"Mom and Dad are fighting…" she sighed.

"He didn't yell at you did he?" he asked, putting a protective arm around her.

"No, I didn't go in the door," she said, "I climbed in my window…" He nodded and let her go so they could change. Tenshi changed then cat-footed out onto an overhanging rock and dove off into the pool. She circled the pool a couple of times and then came up for air to find her friend staring at her. "Where did you learn to do that?" he asked, looking amazed.

"I'm not entirely sure," she replied with a somewhat confused smile, "I can't remember not knowing how…"

"Wow…" was all he said.

"It's not that amazing," she giggled.

"Well, it kind of is," he said, "It's the way you do it…" Suddenly Tenshi knew what he was talking about. She had an odd sort of twisting, rolling motion with which she propelled herself through the water, and she only used her hands to steer. She could also build up a great amount of speed this way. But all she did was nod. Then she smiled, rolled onto her back, and circled the pool again while Iruka sat on the edge and watched her. "That?" she asked when she was through.

~Iruka's POV~

"Yes that," he replied with a smile. She smiled back at him, then went back to swimming while he watched. After a while she seemed to tire and she came out of the water and reached for her towel. It was then that Iruka noticed the bruises across her ribs and shoulders, and he gasped in shock and horror. "That bad huh..?" she asked distantly as she whirled the towel over across her shoulders and turned to face him.

"What…what happened to you Tenshi-chan..?" he asked, getting up and gently wrapping his arms around her, "Who would do something like that to you..?"

"There are those…" she said softly, "Just…please don't…don't say anything…"

"But why Tenshi-chan..? Why don't you want me to say anything..?" he asked sadly, "If I lost you…"

"That's more likely to happen if you say something about it," she said quietly, "That's why I'm asking you not to say anything…"

"But how can I not say anything..?" he asked softly, "How can I just let it be while you keep getting hurt..?"

"Because if you tell someone he'll just find out and then…then…" she stopped, unable to continue. He tightened his hold on her. "I'm sorry Tenshi-chan, I really am…" he whispered softly, "I wish there was something more I could do…"

"It's alright…" she sniffled softly, "Thank you anyway, just for being here, just…for caring for me… It means a lot to me, knowing you care…" She smiled up at him and he softly smiled back. "So, do you think you should go home soon before he decides to beat you black and blue again?" he asked her softly, then, a little nervously, "It is your dad, right..?"

"Yeah…" she sighed with a dull little nod, "it is… And yes, I should probably go home…" He sighed and petted her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Want me to walk you home?" he asked gently when she picked her head up.

"I would like that. I'd like that a lot," she smiled, "Thanks Iruka-kun."

"No problem Tenshi-chan," he smiled back, "You're my best friend." He walked her back to her house and he watched until she'd made it to her window and waved to him. He waved back then, and after that he wandered on down the street. After an hour or so of wandering around Konoha, he finally decided to go train, but he finally had to admit defeat with that as well. _It just isn't any fun, or even very interesting training by yourself_, he thought sadly as he gathered his weapons and headed home, _Maybe the next time I do this I'll go see if Mizuki'll train with me… That would be better than being alone anyway…_ He didn't sleep very well that night, partly because the house was empty, but also partly because he was worrying about Tenshi. He got to the academy early the next morning, and since no one was there he trained in the yard until the other students started to show up. When he saw Tenshi come wandering in still in her pajamas he was a little worried, though not really surprised. "Hey Tenshi-chan," he said, giving her a hug, "You alright this morning?"

"I'm fine Iruka-kun, thanks," she said with a small smile, "Mom and Dad had a fight, so I woke up before they even knew I was there."

"Well…I guess it's not good that they had a fight… But I'm glad they woke you up so he couldn't hurt you," Iruka said, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Me too," Tenshi smiled quietly.

"Tenshi-chan, you're in your pajamas again," Kurenai teased.

"I know," Tenshi grinned, "But I'm comfortable this way."

"Obviously," giggled Kurenai, "We're starting though Tenshi-chan." They all took their seats, and Mizuki showed up just before Ebisu-sensei could decide he wasn't there. "Hey Tenshi-chan," he said cheerfully, then he teased, "You're in your pajamas again."

"So observant," she teased back, a little sarcastically. Iruka was a little relieved when Mizuki decided not to tease Tenshi and gave her a quick hug instead. He could almost feel how upset Tenshi was today…

**Wow, I completely forgot how many times I switched who was doing the thinking/watching in this till I posted it. I hope that doesn't confuse or bug anyone lol XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok, nother new chappy, had a hard time figuring out where to end this one because I used so much dialogue in it, although I did manage to keep the change in POV down to a minimum of once. I guess for me there really is no such thing as an even middle. Hope you all like :)**

~~~Ebisu-sensei's POV~~~

After checking to see that all of his students were there, even the troublemaking ones, Ebisu-sensei took them outside. It didn't take him long to figure out that Tenshi was not her usual annoying self. It bothered him some too, because if _Tenshi_ was upset at all, the _boys_ she always sat with pulled no end of shenanigans just to get her to smile. Bonus if they managed to make her laugh. _This is going to be a _long_ day_, Ebisu thought as he watched them, _Come on Tenshi, snap out of it and laugh already!_ It didn't happen though, and soon he was too busy to pay any attention to what was going on with Tenshi. "Higurashi Tenshi! It's your turn," he called, then noticing that she looked slightly glassy-eyed he asked her quietly, "Did you get the instructions, you know what you're supposed to do..?"

"Yes," she said, "I have to get across the rope as quickly and quietly as I can without falling off."

"Exactly," he answered, then he looked at her and promptly asked, "Tenshi are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," she said.

"Alright, I'm making sure," he said, "Alright, ready and go."

~~~Tenshi's POV~~~

Tenshi didn't even bother with molding the correct amount of chakra, all she did was pull enough out to prove she was using it. She simply stepped up onto the rope and trotted across, and when she reached the other side she hopped down and wandered over to where Kurenai was standing. Mizuki's test went surprisingly well considering he'd obviously wanted to try to make Tenshi laugh. The only one Tenshi was slightly worried about bombing out now was Iruka, and as a result she made it plain to him that he'd better not even think about failing. She might as well have saved her breath though. She looked over from her conversation with Kurenai just in time to see Iruka step up onto the rope. He made it to the middle without any trouble, but then for no apparent reason he suddenly lost his balance and fell off. The rest of the class erupted into laughter, while Tenshi and Kurenai looked at each other, then at the rope over the pool, then at each other again. "What the..?" Kurenai didn't even finish the thought. Tenshi just shrugged and walked over to the pool, and found that she had to laugh. There stood Iruka, chest deep in water and scratching his head and laughing. Tenshi giggled to herself and stepped back onto the rope. Then it jumped, and all she had time to do was hook her knees around it and grab on with her hands, and she ended up staring upside-down into Iruka's triumphantly grinning face. "Well, you did it Iruka-kun," she giggled.

"Yup, and it was worth embarrassing myself too," he said with his cute little grin. Tenshi laughed and dropped into the water herself and came up flinging water everywhere. "Ah!" Iruka yelled laughing, then he threw water at Tenshi.

"Ok you two, you're done! Come out of there and get dried off!" Ebisu-sensei shouted at them. Tenshi giggled and grinned at Iruka, flung a few stray drops of water at him, then scooted out of his reach and climbed out of the pool. She shook off the excess water then stood and waited for Iruka to come back and join her and Mizuki. "That wasn't fair Tenshi-chan," Iruka said in mock indignation.

"Aw, but it was so much fun," Tenshi giggled, then she asked, "Are you busy after this?"

"No, I don't think so," Iruka answered, "Are you gonna come train or something like that?"

"Well if you want to come with I was gonna babysit Naruto for a while this afternoon," Tenshi smiled.

"Yeah I'll come with," Iruka answered, "Hey, it means I don't have to be at home anyway."

"That's true," Tenshi said quietly, "Alright, we can—"

"Alright!" Ebisu-sensei shouted, "Everybody listen up! Especially you three." He pointed at Tenshi and the boys. "Aw man," Mizuki groaned. Tenshi and Iruka nodded in agreement. "We're going to start a little exercise that will help those of you fortunate enough to graduate from this academy," Ebisu-sensei told the class. More groans, this time not just from Mizuki. "You will all be on teams of three. Combinations will be picked at random and you will not know who you are teamed with until your names are called," Ebisu-sensei continued, "You will remain with the same team as long as I see fit, and this system will continue until I feel you are responsible enough to choose your own partners. Any questions? No? Good. You're dismissed."

"This is all your fault Iruka," Mizuki growled, and he stalked off.

"Yeah, way to go Umino," another boy agreed sarcastically.

"Tenshi I'll catch you later," Iruka said softly.

"Wait, Iruka where are you going?" Tenshi squeaked.

"The pool," he finally said quietly, "Are you planning on showing up later?"

"I'll come Iruka-kun," she whispered, "Iruka I'm sorry… I really… well I didn't expect this…"

"I know Tenshi-chan, it's alright…" he sighed, "It isn't your fault… I'll see you later alright..?" She nodded and he left. "Looks like you lost your chance with Tenshi-chan," Obito's younger brother Itatchi snickered after Iruka on his way out.

"Oh just leave him alone already!" Tenshi finally exploded, "Go die in a ditch Uchiha!"

"_What?!_" about five different girls squealed in unison.

"You heard me," Tenshi said with an evil smirk.

"Don't say that to _my_ Itatchi-kun!" one of the girls yelled. This began a full-scale argument as to who Itatchi really belonged to, and it was just too good an opportunity for Tenshi to pass up. Besides, Iruka had left, thanks but no thanks to all the comments. "So wait, wait, lemme get this straight," Tenshi interrupted, trying not to laugh, "Itatchi belongs to each of you individually, and so belongs to all of you at once, does that make you all his harem?"

"Yes!" several of them snapped, and went back to arguing. Tenshi couldn't hold back any longer and exploded into a fit of hysterical giggles. "You are _one weird kunoichi_," Kurenai commented with a grin, "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"My brain," Tenshi grinned back, "Seriously though, they made me mad and then set themselves up for it. Let's just say I'm tired of hearing about the Uchiha boys and how 'great' or whatever they are."

"I agree with that one," Kurenai said, then she laughed, "Let's go, before the fan-girls figure out just exactly what you said a few seconds ago."

"Probably a good idea, even if I do want to see what they do when they realize why everybody's laughing," Tenshi giggled, "Hey there's Reizo."

"Hey where're the rest of you?" Reizo asked when he saw Tenshi and Kurenai but no Iruka or Mizuki.

"Mizuki got pissed and Iruka vanished," Tenshi said.

"_Tenshi I'm going to kill you!_" they heard a girl's voice yell.

"Dare I even ask?" Reizo questioned.

"Probably not," Kurenai said, then she and Tenshi looked at each other and started to giggle.

"Ok, I'll take your word for it," Reizo said as they left the academy and headed towards the park.

"Hey Tenshi, should we go find the guys?" Kurenai asked.

"Not Mizuki," Tenshi replied, "Though I'm gonna go see if Iruka is still where he said he was gonna be…"

"Ok, you go see him, and if you all feel like it you can meet us at the park," Reizo said.

"Alright, will do," Tenshi said, "see you all later."

"Later Tenshi-chan," Kurenai smiled, and she and Reizo ran off down the street towards the park while Tenshi ran down to the pool. "Hey Tenshi-chan…" Iruka said softly when he saw her.

"Hey Iruka-kun. Are you alright?" she asked him softly.

"Not really…" he responded distantly, then he turned to face her, his eyes full of sorrow, "Tenshi-chan I'm sorry… I… I just wanted… I just wanted to make you feel better…"

"I know Iruka-kun it's alright," she said, wrapping her arms around him, "Really it's alright… Besides, we can still see each other after class."

"Thanks Tenshi-chan… It's just… Mizuki was right, it was my fault…" he said sadly.

"He wasn't any more right than Itatchi was," Tenshi said, still holding onto him, "Sensei would have separated us eventually anyway, he just decided to do it early…"

"Yeah… that's true," Iruka said quietly, "So who do you think he'll put us with?"

"Donno," Tenshi said, "I suppose we'll find out…"

He nodded, then asked, "Well, what do you wanna do now..?"

"Well, Reizo and Kurenai are at the park, along with a standing invitation, but if you would rather not meet them I'll definitely understand," Tenshi said, "Really we can do whatever you want, because I haven't any plans."

"I think… I'd rather just go home this time Tenshi-chan…" he sighed, "You can come with me though if you want…"

"I'll come with," she said, "I don't have anything I have to do, so I'm free."

"Thanks Tenshi-chan," he said with a small smile.

"It's no problem Iruka-kun," she smiled back, "I love you." Tenshi didn't leave Iruka's place until quite late that night, but she still remembered not to walk in the door, instead she climbed the side of the house and crawled in her window. Tenshi managed to get up and dressed before anyone else was even stirring the next morning, and she had had breakfast and left by the time anyone else was up. She was the first one to the academy that morning as well, and to keep from having to wait by herself she left and went to go meet Kurenai. "Hey Tenshi-chan, how are you this morning?" Kurenai asked cheerfully.

"I'm good, how 'bout you?" Tenshi asked.

"Doing good," Kurenai said, "Did you find Iruka yesterday?"  
"Yeah I found him," Tenshi smiled, then she growled, "I just wish that Mizuki at least would have kept his mouth shut…"

"Oh, you mean him blaming Iruka for Ebisu-sensei sticking us with teams?" Kurenai asked.

"Yeah, that," Tenshi sighed, "But, I think Iruka is ok…"

"Well I hope so, I know how you get when he's miserable," Kurenai teased.

"True that," Tenshi laughed, "Oh hey, we're here."

"I see that," Kurenai said, "I'm gonna go catch Reizo, I'll see you later."

"Later Kurenai-chan," Tenshi said cheerfully, and they waved to each other as Kurenai skipped off while Tenshi went and sat in her usual seat. A few minutes later Mizuki showed up. "Hey Tenshi-chan, how's it going?" Mizuki asked, dropping lightly into the seat beside her.

"I'm good, and you?" she said politely.

"Not bad," he replied, "Could be better, but not bad. Think Iruka will be fool enough to show after yesterday?"

Tenshi took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself before she answered, "He'll show, why would that be a problem?"

"It might be a problem because I know a few people who'd like to pound him for yesterday," Mizuki said.

"Lemme guess, that count includes you right?" Tenshi sighed, "What the hell Mizuki, I thought you two were friends…"

"We were until he did that," Mizuki said.

"Cry a river build a bridge and get over it," Tenshi muttered in disgust. Just then Iruka came shuffling in, and instead of trying to convince Mizuki to move, Tenshi hopped up over her desk into the seat directly in front of where she'd been and waved to Iruka who looked confused but waved back and made his way toward them. Mizuki just shook his head, got up, and walked away. "Whoa, what happened there?" Iruka asked.

"Mostly, I moved," Tenshi said, "Also, I think he's a tad jealous."

"What, does he know?" Iruka asked.

"Not technically, no, but I think he suspects," Tenshi said, "And I don't think he's too happy."

"That makes it awkward," Iruka commented, "I really don't know what to say on this one, I'm lost."

"Don't worry, I am too," Tenshi sighed, "I see no reason for his acting this way…"

"Well, there is a reason, even if it isn't a good one," Iruka said, "You fit the dream-girl image for almost every guy here right now, including Mizuki."

"So… should I have given him a chance..?" she asked quietly.

"No," he replied, "You would have just been miserable Tenshi, and I couldn't have lived with that… you're the single most important person in my life and I love you. It hurts me… to see you hurt…"

"I know," she said with a sad smile, "I feel the same for you. So, where should we meet after this? I don't think it really matters, since I can't openly go inside my house anyway."

"That's true," he said, "Well, let's go to the pool again and actually go swimming this time, how does that sound?"

"It sounds good to me," she smiled, then she giggled, "If I keep this up I'm gonna hafta start keeping things in your house!"

"Seems that way, don't it?" he laughed, "I think we're starting Tenshi-chan." She nodded in agreement as Ebisu-sensei started calling names in sets of three. Mizuki ended up in one of the first three teams, Tenshi didn't pay attention to which one, and then Ebisu-sensei called, "Team four, Higurashi Tenshi, Uchiha Itatchi, and Gekko Hayate."

"Remind me that killing one's sensei is not an acceptable reciprocation," Tenshi growled, "Nor is killing one's teammate."

"I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose," Iruka laughed, "I'm sorry you have to deal with the whole thing though…"

"Ah, it isn't your fault," Tenshi said, then she grinned, "Besides, it might end soon if we all be good."

"Itatchi hears you say that and your plan won't be worth much," Iruka teased.

"Don't tell me that, I didn't wanna hear it!" Tenshi laughed, then she asked, "Do you know which one's Hayate? Because I have no idea…"

"He's right over there, the one with the katana," Iruka said.

"Alright, thanks Iruka-kun," Tenshi smiled, "I'll see you later."

"Later Tenshi-chan," he smiled back. Tenshi nodded and waved, then worked her way over to where Hayate was sitting and sat down next to him. "Hey," he said, "Higurashi Tenshi right? I'm Gekko Hayate."

"Yup," Tenshi said cheerfully.

"I don't like that guy," Hayate muttered.

"What guy?" Tenshi asked.

"Mr. High and Mighty Uchiha," Hayate said, "I spent the past month avoiding his ass and now I have to work with him. Figure that out!"

"At least you aren't me," Tenshi snorted, "He was hitting on me yesterday!"

"That was you huh?" Hayate asked.

"Yeah," Tenshi replied, "I pissed the fan-girls off too."

"Heard that," he said, then he looked at her, "Hey, you're Reizo's sister aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am actually. Twins," Tenshi replied.

"That makes sense. How have I never met you before?" Hayate asked.

"Probably because I tend to spend most of my time with Umino Iruka," Tenshi replied, "He's my boyfriend."

"That's surprising actually for some reason," Hayate said, "Oh well, he's a good guy. You could definitely have done worse."

"Hello Tenshi, Hayate," Itatchi said with a coolly confident smile, "So when's our first date Ten-chan?"

"Like that," Hayate said, miming a gag.

"Forget it Uchiha," Tenshi snickered, then she asked Hayate, "So you use a katana, yes?"

"Yup, sure do. It's my specialty," he replied, "What about you?"

"Duel katanas. I just don't bring them to school much because most of my friends don't use them," Tenshi explained.

"Well, we'll have plenty of time for them now," Hayate laughed, "Tomorrow would be great actually."

"Alright, sounds good to me," Tenshi grinned, "Fair warning though, I won't be around long after-hours."

"Don't worry, I figured as much," Hayate said.

"Hey, don't you sit there and ignore me!" Itatchi snapped.

"Why not, it's convenient for me," Tenshi said.

"Because I'm asking you to be my girlfriend," Itatchi said.

"Bite me," Tenshi retorted, "I have a boyfriend, a good one too, I don't need another one."

"I can't believe you Tenshi," a girl said coldly, "You have a chance at something the rest of us only dream of, you should be grateful."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Tenshi asked, turning her head slightly sideways, "I have a boyfriend. Do I _look_ like I _need_ Itatchi? I'm not about to go drooling after him like some little lost puppy either, boyfriend or no."

"You're stupid," the girl said bluntly.  
"Pfft! And you're not?" Tenshi snorted, "Why don't you ask Itatchi out yourself if you want him so badly?"

"Because he doesn't want me!" she snapped, "Unlike most girls Tenshi, I actually realize Itatchi has a mind of his own and can like whoever he wants. Except the girl he wants is an ungrateful snob."

"Trust me, if he _could_ have me, he wouldn't pay me any mind," Tenshi said, "Would you Itatchi?"

"Yeah, I would," he said, still cool and confident, "Besides, if I can take you away from someone else that would make you even more worth my time than you would be otherwise."

"Right, and Shinigami don't kill people," Tenshi snickered sarcastically, "You'd finally get me and then you'd be looking for your next conquest."

"Will you guys cut it out?!" Hayate finally snapped, "Miki, you were so busy arguing with Tenshi you didn't even realize your name was just called. Go get your team." The girl just glared at him and stalked off. Tenshi took this as a cue and decided to be quiet. "Finally," Itatchi said, "She's so irritating."

"You know Uchiha, unlike you, Tenshi at least knows when to keep her mouth shut," Hayate said coldly.

"You should learn to respect a superior shinobi," Itatchi smirked.

"And who would that be?" Hayate asked mildly, "I see nothing to indicate any such entity."

"As far as power-housing goes, that would probably be him," Tenshi said, "But, personality wise, I think you have his ass beat."

"Great, now can you two stop trying to eat each other and me alive?" Hayate asked.

"Sure, so long as no one makes a pass at me again we're good," Tenshi said lightly.

"Alright don't make her mad again Itatchi," Hayate said, "Now, the first one is a retrieval mission…"

"And it's a sort of race. We have to see how fast we can get the scroll and we can't lose anyone on the way," Tenshi finished.

"I had no idea you were listening," Hayate stated.

"My mind works in many different ways," Tenshi replied, "Itatchi, you lead for this one." He grinned, apparently deciding this was going to be his moment of glory.

**Alright, that's it for this one, thank you all who watch and whatnot, it gives me a reason to keep this up. eventually I'll finish it lol :P**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alrighty, new chapter and...stuff. Wow, I've left this alone for way too long, I need to get back to writing it and editing it. And it's looking like I may need to change where some of the chapters in the middle are headed as far as plot-line and what-not goes. Been a really rough time lately too, wish me luck, if anyone is still reading this lol XD**

~~~Tenshi's POV

Tenshi pretty much ignored his antics and fancy jutsus and stayed in calculator mode. She worked better this way, especially with Itatchi, because it meant she didn't have to pay attention to his trying to impress her. The whole day pretty much went like this, with Itatchi trying to impress Tenshi and she ignoring him in favor of doing her job along with Hayate, Itatchi working twice as hard as they were. Somehow they all survived, and after saying a quick goodbye to Hayate, Tenshi raced home, grabbed her bathing suit and towel, and headed down to the pool. She got there first, and was in the water by the time Iruka showed up. "Hi Tenshi-chan," he called.

"Hey Iruka-kun," she called back cheerfully, "You gonna swim this time instead of sitting there watching me?"

"Yeah I am," he laughed, "Just gimme a minute."

"No problem," Tenshi laughed happily. They spent a long time swimming, and after that they just sat together for a while enjoying each other's company. "So how are the shoulders?" Iruka asked quietly.

"Oh, a little stiff from training I guess but not too bad," Tenshi replied contentedly, "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," he replied as he began rubbing her shoulders, "The bruising has gone down some, so that's good."

"Yeah…" she smiled softly, ""Hey, that feels good."

"It was supposed to," he laughed, "Feel any better?"

"A lot," she smiled, "Thanks."

"Good, that's what was supposed to happen," he said, "The intent was to make you feel better."

"You always make me feel better, you know that," she giggled, "You're my best friend Iruka."

He smiled and hugged her, "You're my best friend too Tenshi-chan."

"So when do you have to go home?" he asked finally.

"Hoh, I donno… I don't think they even know I'm gone yet…" she sighed, "I just… I wish he'd ignore me all the time…"

"I know Tenshi-chan, I know. Here, don't go until you have to, just stay here and take it easy, ok?" he said softly, gently pulling her closer and cuddling her to him, "Just forget him for now and relax for a bit."

"Ok," she said with a soft smile, "I'm not going to argue with you on that one." He laughed and went back to massaging her shoulders. Slowly, gradually, she began to relax, and by the time he was through she felt a hundred percent better. "So you have any plans for tomorrow?" he wanted to know.

"Nope, not yet," she said, "Nothing more than getting through another day with Itatchi. You got anything in mind?"

"No, not really, 'cept to see you," he answered with a smile.

"I'm always up for that," she smiled, "Hey, you don't mind me getting Naruto tomorrow do you?"

"Don't mind at all," he replied, "Just as long as there's no park included."

"Ok," she giggled, "No park."

"Thanks," he laughed.

"No problem," she smiled, then she sighed and stretched, "I suppose I should be heading home…"

"Alright. You want me to walk with you?" he asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," she said,

"It's alright," he smiled, "That's what friends are for." When they got to her house Iruka gave Tenshi a hug and left, and Tenshi climbed in her window as usual. It took her a moment to figure out just exactly what was different this time, but about the time she got hit with her father's fist she knew well enough. "What the hell was that for?!" she snapped, blocking another swing, "I'm home, isn't that good enough for you?!"

"That was for disobeying me," her father said coldly, "How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from that brat?"

"That 'brat,' as you call him, happens to be my best friend," Tenshi reminded him tersely.

"Then I'd say you have a very poor taste in friends," he said conversationally, "But we will soon fix that."

"Yeah right, when I'm dead maybe," Tenshi sneered, "Don't you have anything constructive to do with your time? Like, annoying the Hokage maybe?" He was caught off guard, but he recovered quickly enough. Tenshi still smirked however when he made a grab for her and realized belatedly that she wasn't there anymore. "How do you expect to teach me a lesson if you can't keep up?" she teased playfully.

"I will not stand for this kind of behavior from you!" he snapped, "You are entirely too disrespectful!"

"You might not want to, but you certainly will if you can't catch me," she giggled, "Sounds like a personal problem to me. Look in a mirror, you might accidently be able to fix it." With that she grabbed her katanas and escaped out the window, hitting the ground lightly in an easy lope. About fifteen minutes later she was on the training fields, and so were Kakashi and Gai, along with their teams. "Whoa, where's the rest of you?" Kakashi asked in obvious surprise, "There's no posse!"

"Don't care about Mizuki, and Iruka went home," Tenshi said, "I'm here because I don't have anywhere better to go."

"I sense a disagreement, possibly a true argument..?" Obito queried.

"Only with Mizuki," Tenshi laughed, "It was definitely real enough though!"

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said, "What happened?"

"He's being Mizuki, what else," Tenshi said.

"That could mean almost anything," Obito smirked, "What did he do this time?"

"Got mad at me because he was mad at Iruka and I wasn't," Tenshi said, adding sarcastically, "Apparently he thought I should be mad too."

"Doesn't he know you _can_ make up your own mind?!" Gai exploded, as if he thought the very idea was completely ludicrous.

"Probably not, but I wouldn't sweat it too much," Tenshi laughed, "he'll get over it eventually. And anyway I'm certainly not going to break my head attempting to understand him."

"Probably wise," Obito said, "So now what are you doing? We're all planning to go home soon."

"I will too eventually," Tenshi said, "I'd like to get a little training in before I do though."

"Alright, well we'll see you later," Kakashi said, "Bye Tenshi-chan."

"Later Kakashi-san," Tenshi said.

"You coming Gai?" Asuma asked.

"No, I'm gonna stay for a bit," he said, "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Ok, later," Asuma said, and he and the girl left.

"I thought you were _all_ goin' home," Tenshi laughed.

"Nah. Just them. I wasn't done training, they just get tired faster than I do," Gai said, "Sides, my parents will understand if I'm a little later than usual."

"Hm… Parents…" Tenshi sighed, a bit bitterly, "You know, sometimes I'm jealous of all you guys, with your parents…"

"I thought you had your parents Tenshi-chan," he said, sounding confused.

"Oh I do," Tenshi said, "but I'm not exactly happy with them. My mom wouldn't be a problem, she'd just live her life and let us be, but my dad is a controlling, jealous maniac."

"Maybe he just doesn't fully understand you," Gai said.

"No, it's worse than him just not understanding," she sighed tiredly as she took careful aim at a standing log, then threw a kunai, "He hates my friends, he hates my boyfriend, and sometimes I'd swear he hates me as well. At least, he yells at me because of them enough to pass for such…"

"I'm sorry Tenshi-san," Gai said quietly, "I'm sorry I don't know what else to say."

"Don't worry about it," Tenshi said, then she laughed, "What's happened to you anyway, you're all serious now. You're usually so…" she stopped, searching for a word.

"I have my moments," he smiled, "I also had a couple questions, but I get the feeling that right now what you need is a friend rather than an interrogator."

"Eh. You could say that," she conceded, throwing the last kunai, then going to inspect her work, "But I suppose playing twenty-one questions is just as good a way of talking as any."

"I didn't have twenty-one questions," Gai laughed, "Though that's an idea."

"Let's not and say we did," Tenshi laughed in return, "What did you want to know?"

"Well, I was just sort of curious to know who your boyfriend was. It wasn't anything special," Gai said, "The other was… I was wondering… why didn't you answer directly, when Kakashi wanted to know which one of the two of us you would choose if you had to have one or the other..?"

"The first one is easy to answer," Tenshi said, lifting the flap on one of her pouches and tossing him the picture frame, "The other is a little more difficult to explain… I suppose… Partly I wanted to save you two another highly amusing but ultimately pointless contest, and partly… I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings… Iruka… Kakashi… You. And yeah, even Mizuki. Even though he can be a real jerk at times. And anyway, even if I had to choose between you or Kakashi, I don't think I could now… Not really. It's just that… well, you and Kakashi are such good friends to me…"

"I can understand that," he said quietly, handing the photo back to her, "I'm sorry really. I didn't mean to put you in that kind of a situation. It won't happen again, I promise."

"It wasn't completely your fault," she smiled at him, "But thank you Gai-san. .."

"It's not a problem Tenshi-san," he grinned, "So do you want a training partner? Maybe I can teach you a few things..?"

"That sounds like a good idea," she grinned, finally satisfied with the positioning of her kunai and pulling them from the log. At the confused expression on Gai's face she grinned. "I do this all the time. I try to make formations with them, the first few times mostly looked like that," she said, finishing tracing the one she'd just made then pointing to one she'd traced on a nearby log, "That one was the first. It's mainly just to help me aim better…"

"Seems like a good enough idea to me," Gai laughed. The next two hours were occupied primarily with them training and Gai teaching Tenshi a few tai-jutsu techniques which she promptly created ways to counter as well as learning the correct counter moves. They finally called it a night, and Gai went home while Tenshi went to wandering around again, tired but still unwilling to go home. She finally had to though, because she wasn't sure where else she would sleep. She actually did sleep too though, and nothing happened until the next morning when her father woke her up. _The one time I can't help having my guard down, and he takes advantage of it with a vengeance_, she thought in frustration, then she snarled, "Get outta my room!" And she promptly kicked him in the middle with both feet and sent him flying out the door, which she then closed and locked behind him. She still wasn't sure how far she could actually go with telling him no, so she completed her morning routine in record time, grabbed her katanas and split. She didn't see Iruka, or any of the other guys for that matter when she got to the academy, but she did see Kurenai and she waved to get her friend's attention. "Hey Tenshi-chan, where are the guys?" Kurenai called.

"Haven't seen them yet this morning," Tenshi said, "not even my brother, surprisingly enough."

"Wow. That is surprising," Kurenai laughed, "How're you doing with Itatchi?"

"Eh, I'm doing. Not sure how, but I'm doing," Tenshi laughed, then she looked up and grinned, "Well, there's Reizo anyway."

"Great," Kurenai said, then she asked, "Think we should con him into helping find Iruka and Mizuki?"

"Nah. Mizuki'll show up whenever, and I can always go bang on Iruka's door," Tenshi giggled, then she rolled her eyes, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

"Huh?" Kurenai asked.

"Mizuki," Tenshi said, "I'm gonna make myself scarce, I'll see ya later Kurenai-chan."

"K, later Tenshi-chan," Kurenai laughed, then she added teasingly, "Have fun hiding that hair Ten-chan."

"Thanks—not!" Tenshi snorted, laughing herself as she walked over to join Hayate, "Hey Hayate, what's up?"

"Not too much, just the usual," Hayate said, "We don't have anything to do today other than just sit here."

"Wow," Tenshi laughed, "Ebisu-sensei has run out of imagination."

"Sit here and write down stuff," Hayate amended with a laugh, "We'll just have to wait and see. Hey Itatchi."

"Hey everybody, did ya miss me?" he grinned, mainly at Tenshi.

"Nope, not at all," Tenshi smirked, "You miss us?"

"You hurt me, you know that?" Itatchi laughed, "Come on, am I really all that bad?"

"You're too much younger than me," Tenshi pointed out, "Besides, I still have a boyfriend. And that isn't going to change anytime soon."

"Aw man, and here I was hoping I could melt all that ice and light the fire I know is under there," Itatchi said.

"You're such a bad flirt," Tenshi said, laughing outright, "Hence my saying you wouldn't be interested in me very long. What you see is what you get, there's nothing underneath."

"Oh well, I could dream," Itatchi said. Tenshi just rolled her eyes and took her seat and she didn't pay any more attention to Itatchi.

**Wow, didn't change POV's even once in this one. Record for me, usually it's at least once. Also, I think this one might be a tad shorter than normal. Still hope y'all like it. Cheers! ^^**


End file.
